tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60949825309725509402018-03-05T19:31:15.653-08:00Cahier de JulieFOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD
Julienoreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-36669924508316619172017-03-20T22:39:00.001-07:002017-03-20T22:39:34.637-07:00Salade met bietjes, zachte geitenkaas en spinazie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vU-SWzfJAiY/WNC8ST2S5qI/AAAAAAAAF8U/3ct46cjuGO0tl7LkIRKWoIXx7cGiY_daQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1092%2B%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vU-SWzfJAiY/WNC8ST2S5qI/AAAAAAAAF8U/3ct46cjuGO0tl7LkIRKWoIXx7cGiY_daQCLcB/s320/IMG_1092%2B%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Niet de meeste aantrekkelijke foto maar het belangrijkste, de smaak, zat goed!</div><br />Ik haat het echt om eten weg te gooien. Toen er zaterdag nog redelijk wat restjes in de koelkast lagen, heb ik geprobeerd om een aantal zaken te combineren tot een <i>yummy</i>&nbsp;maaltijd. Vaak maak ik een recept van Ella Woodward (beter gekend als Deliciously Ella) met bietjes en spinazie. Makkelijk dus om er wat geitenkaas aan te te voegen en... KLAAR!<br /><div><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div>Bietjes en geitenkaas zijn altijd een winnende combinatie. Wat deze salade een echte topper maakt is de dressing. Past bij om het even welke salade en is overheerlijk. Dus yes: deze is ook een blijver, net zoals het slaatje.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bovendien is dit echt een lekker simpel gerecht. Ik had voorgekookte bietjes, spinazie is sowieso een makkelijk ingrediënt en wat geitenkaas over een bord verdelen is ook geen rocket science. Easy does it. Genoeg gepraat dus, snel de keuken in!<br /><br /><i>Ingrediënten (2 personen)</i><br /><ul><li>2 grote voorgekookte bieten</li><li>2 handenvol spinazie</li><li>Bakje zachte geitenkaas</li><li>Teentje look</li><li>2 eetlepels olijfolie</li><li>2 eetlepels maple syrup (of honing)</li><li>2 eetlepels appelciderazijn (of citroensap)</li><li>Peper</li><li>Kokosolie</li></ul><br /><i>Recept</i><br /><ul><li>Pel en plet het teentje look.</li><li>Verwarm wat kokosolie in een pan en voeg de look toe.</li><li>Voeg de spinazie toe aan de pan en laat slinken.</li><li>Snijd de bietjes in dunne plakjes en verdeel over de borden.</li><li>Combineer olijfolie, maple syrup en de azijn samen met wat peper.</li><li>Verdeel de spinazie over de bietjes.</li><li>Druppel de dressing erover.</li><li>Lepel de geitenkaas <i>on top </i>en werk af met wat versgemalen peper.&nbsp;</li></ul></div>Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-53964601003965171602017-03-19T00:12:00.000-07:002017-03-19T00:12:11.187-07:00Avocadotoast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bg2ZmLM9Wn0/WM4vEH0P1aI/AAAAAAAAF8A/ngbtyyZEFy0lZf8Lyu8AnSruYwkVCv4SwCLcB/s1600/IMG_1073%2B%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bg2ZmLM9Wn0/WM4vEH0P1aI/AAAAAAAAF8A/ngbtyyZEFy0lZf8Lyu8AnSruYwkVCv4SwCLcB/s320/IMG_1073%2B%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Old but gold, deze toast met avocado. Je hebt er maar enkele ingrediënten voor nodig en absoluut geen keukenskills. Ik eet deze graag als ontbijt in het weekend - met of zonder eitje. Het knapperige van de toast en het smeuïge van de avocado zijn echt een topcombinatie!<br /><div><a name='more'></a></div><div>Niet enkel qua smaak is deze toast een topper. Avocado helpt ook om de huid te voeden. Zelf heb ik vaak last van een hele droge huid met irritaties. <i>Call me crazy</i>&nbsp;maar het lijkt alsof mijn huid rustiger is van zodra ik iets regelmatiger avocado eet.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Deze toast kent ook heel veel variaties. Het "recept" hieronder is de basic onder de basics. Ook lekker: tahini <i>on top</i>, gepocheerd eitje, extra zaden en pitten, kruiden... Combineer erop los!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Ingrediënten</i></div><div><ul><li>Halve avocado</li><li>2 snedes brood</li><li>Peper</li><li>Zout</li><li>Olijfolie, citroensap</li><li>Optioneel: 1 ei</li></ul></div><div><i>Recept</i></div><div><ul><li>Toast het brood in een broodrooster, onder de grill van de oven...</li><li>Haal de avocado uit de schil en prak in een kommetje.</li><li>Voeg peper en zout toe.</li><li>Voeg olijfolie, citroensap of beiden toe.</li><li>Besmeer de toast met het avocadomengsel.</li><li>Optioneel: kook het ei naar wens. Ik heb graag een zachtgekookt eitje; kooktijd 6,5 minuten.</li></ul></div>Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-65884474511680972262017-03-16T23:13:00.002-07:002017-03-16T23:13:59.582-07:00Erwtensoep met munt en feta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-62mrRShlmVg/WMt-fKhHPNI/AAAAAAAAF7w/u1imdWO6q_YDS647mmZgAJKbFzMvbhobgCLcB/s1600/Knipsel.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-62mrRShlmVg/WMt-fKhHPNI/AAAAAAAAF7w/u1imdWO6q_YDS647mmZgAJKbFzMvbhobgCLcB/s320/Knipsel.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Yes&nbsp;- zonder twijfel zorgde de zon de voorbije dagen voor een instant lentegevoel! De <i>goesting</i>&nbsp;in gezonde, kleurrijke gerechten is een leuk bijkomstig effect. Deze soep is daar een perfect voorbeeld van, want nee: een lekker en licht soepje is helemaal niet winters.<br /><a name='more'></a>Toen ik maandagavond een vegan versie van pasta carbonara (fyi: geen succes) maakte, had ik nogal wat diepvrieserwtjes over. Maar diepvries in de kelder (lees: teveel trappen) en luiheid van mijn kant zorgden ervoor dat die erwtjes bleven staan op het aanrecht. DUS bedacht ik een lekker en simpel lunchgerecht voor de volgende dag. Mission accomplished!<br /><br />Het frisse van de munt en het zoute, hartige van de feta zijn ZO lekker samen. Dit gerecht is werkelijk de lente in je bord. Laat je iets weten wanneer je het geprobeerd hebt?<br /><br /><i>Ingrediënten</i><br /><ul><li>1 grote ui</li><li>300 g diepvrieserwtjes</li><li>Verse munt</li><li>Pakje feta</li><li>Kokosolie</li><li>Zout</li><li>Peper</li></ul><br /><i>Recept</i><br /><ul><li>Hak de ui in grove stukken.</li><li>Verwarm wat kokosolie in een soeppan. Voeg de ui toe en laat stoven.</li><li>Voeg de erwtjes bij de ui.</li><li>Kruid met peper en zout (! pas op met het zout: feta is ook heel zout)</li><li>Voeg water toe zodat de erwtjes onder staan.</li><li>Laat een 10-tal minuutjes sudderen.</li><li>Voeg munt toe naar smaak en mix het geheel.</li><li>Breng op smaak met meer peper, zout en munt.</li><li>Serve while it's hot en brokkel wat feta <i>on top. </i>Nog wat extra munt en KLAAAR!</li></ul><div><br /></div>Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-30961920271817188562017-03-14T22:31:00.001-07:002017-03-14T22:31:12.341-07:00Couscoussalade met gegrilde groenten<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6BO2cu99kTw/WMjRZLKIZmI/AAAAAAAAF7M/K6CGjydqXeAQVLjMyYroprxFa1wNRKy4wCLcB/s1600/IMG_1052%2B%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6BO2cu99kTw/WMjRZLKIZmI/AAAAAAAAF7M/K6CGjydqXeAQVLjMyYroprxFa1wNRKy4wCLcB/s320/IMG_1052%2B%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Om de lentesferen in huis te halen maakte ik deze couscoussalade. Ik haalde inspiratie uit verschillende recepten en gaf er mijn eigen twist aan. Wel vind ik dat dit soort salades altijd een goed zuurtje kunnen gebruiken: lekker fris met citroenzeste en redelijk wat citroensap. Past perfect bij het zoete van de granaatappel. Afwerken met wat zout en verse kruiden en je hebt een winnaar.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br />Het thuisfront was ook enthousiast. Voor de mister nog enkele merguezworstjes op de grill erbij en helemaal klaar. Deze waren voor mij niet echt nodig aangezien de gegrilde groenten het al vrij vullend maken. Heb je geen zin in vlees maar wel behoefte aan een stevige maaltijd? Voeg dan bijvoorbeeld wat kikkererwten toe.<br /><br />Het beste van dit gerecht? Het is lekker en vooral ook lekker simpel! Het enige wat je eigenlijk hoeft te doen is een aantal dingen snijden en in een kom mikken. Het <i>tricky </i>gedeelte is misschien het losmaken van de granaatappelpitjes. Hiervoor heb ik mijn "eigen methode" ontwikkeld: ik versnijd de granaatappel in kleinere stukjes en maak de pitjes dan stukje per stukje los. Als je online kijkt, vind je ook manieren met een kom water of kloppen op de achterkant met een lepel (warning: mijn keuken zag hierna helemaal rood).<br /><br />Anyway: probeer het vooral lekker zelf en laat weten wat jij ervan vond! Wat mag echt niet ontbreken in jouw favoriete couscoussalade?<br /><br /><i>Ingrediënten</i><br /><ol><li>2 pijpajuin</li><li>1 kleine granaatappel</li><li>125g couscous</li><li>1 biologische citroen</li><li>Handvol verse koriander</li><li>Handvol verse platte peterselie</li><li>1 kleine courgette</li><li>1 kleine aubergine</li><li>Olijfolie</li></ol><div><i>Recept</i></div><div><ol><li>Verwarm de oven tot 200°C.</li><li>Haal de pitjes uit de granaatappel.</li><li>Snijd de pijpajuin in schijfjes en voeg bij de granaatappel.</li><li>Rasp de zeste van de citroen en voeg bij de ajuin en de granaatappel.</li><li>Bereid couscous zoals op verpakking vermeld. Laat even afkoelen en voeg bij de ajuin en granaatappel.&nbsp;</li><li>Snijd de courgette en aubergine in plakken. Leg ze op een bakplaat. Kruid met peper en besprenkel met olijfolie.</li><li>Plaats de bakplaat 20 - 25 minuten in de oven. Check regelmatig zodat de groenten niet verbranden.</li><li>Hak de koriander en peterselie en voeg bij de kom met couscous.</li><li>Wanneer de courgette en aubergine klaar zijn, besprenkel je deze met grof zeezout en citroensap voor een frisse toets.</li><li>Besprenkel de couscous met olijfolie, citroensap en grof zeezout. KLAAR!</li></ol></div>Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-8215556339103916682017-03-13T08:13:00.000-07:002017-03-13T08:13:02.327-07:00Sunday sin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5sCI0QsXrs4/WMa24k_cgQI/AAAAAAAAF60/2nDajIEB7FsJ5YJo4cNdqDXqv7XmjKzagCLcB/s1600/Knipsel.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5sCI0QsXrs4/WMa24k_cgQI/AAAAAAAAF60/2nDajIEB7FsJ5YJo4cNdqDXqv7XmjKzagCLcB/s320/Knipsel.PNG" width="319" /></a></div><br /><br />De halve marathon komt steeds dichterbij. Twee duurlopen achter de rug, nog één te gaan. CAN'T WAIT! Ik heb tot nu toe echt genoten van de trainingsperiode. De voorbije weken zijn mij ook vrij makkelijk afgegaan.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br />Bijkomend voordeel: sport en gezond eten gaan voor mij echt hand in hand. Granen, groenten, fruit, noten... Bring it on! Klinkt niet heel sexy, I know. Ik heb wel het gevoel dat ik net iets beter in mijn vel zit <i>and that's all that matters</i>. Wat daar zeker ook toe bijdraagt, is voldoende hydratatie. Water, thee of... iets alcoholisch.<br /><br />Alcohol dehydrateert en echt gezond valt het ook niet te noemen. Maar af en toe een goed glas rode wijn <strike>(of twee of &nbsp; &nbsp;),</strike>&nbsp;daar kan ik echt niet aan weerstaan. Toen ik gisteren mijn langste run voor die week had afgestreept, was een glas wijn in de namiddag dan ook wel echt verdiend - vond ik dan toch. Goed gezelschap, zon, terras... Jups, het voelde even aan als een zomerse vakantiedag.<br /><br />Boodschap: balance is key! Ja: ik houd ervan op mijn voeding te letten, zo min mogelijk bewerkte producten op het menu te zetten, etc. Nee: dat betekent niet dat ik enkel plantjes eet. 80/20 baby!<br /><br />Het enige dat ik nog moet leren is om het soms bij één glas te houden ;).<br /><br />Wat betekent balans voor jullie?Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-88459089735456926492017-02-11T23:44:00.001-08:002017-02-11T23:44:42.612-08:00The magic of morning walks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CivI3D9UbJw/WKASLiZZxjI/AAAAAAAAF6I/HtYBnIwwMZEyoUDkVUsmvUXsyEuGNB8dACLcB/s1600/unnamed%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CivI3D9UbJw/WKASLiZZxjI/AAAAAAAAF6I/HtYBnIwwMZEyoUDkVUsmvUXsyEuGNB8dACLcB/s320/unnamed%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>morning situation</i></div><br />No worries: I haven't turned into a gym rat or anything. However, I've been into some kind of healthy routine for the last couple of weeks. Meaning: running 3 times a week, going for morning walks, swim sessions... And foam rolling - which has totally changed my life. Just kidding but it does make a difference when it comes to the regular running pains.<br /><br />Back to the morning walks. I've always heard that you need to take 10.000 steps a day "to keep in shape". I never paid any attention to it until I discovered my phone tracked my steps automatically. I was kind of shocked to find out that some days I only take about 2.000 steps. Not okay.<br /><br />So since I'm a morning person (or try to be) I decided to go for morning walks a couple of times a week. A morning walk to me means hopping out of bed, getting into some comfortable clothes, taking my bottle of water and getting out there. I try to be outside for a good 30 minutes which mostly results in about 3.500 steps. And then I still need to start my day!<br /><br />Some bonuses: A. the walking in the (sometimes freezing) morning cold wakes me up immediately B. by the time I get back home I've finished my 700 ml of water - hydration: check!<br /><br />I know that 3.500 steps still isn't even half of the recommended 10.000 but at least it's a tad closer to it. Baby steps: better to try and do something than nothing.<br /><br />How do you try to keep fit? Let me know!<br /><br />Love,<br />JulieJulienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-12442052275255391162017-01-01T06:41:00.001-08:002017-01-01T06:41:38.549-08:00Camembert fondue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kl3MMP6BdPo/WGkU4PhTtqI/AAAAAAAAF44/7t9vcGg-XR4cYOhb1xjmOKhJaaoGt6N-wCLcB/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kl3MMP6BdPo/WGkU4PhTtqI/AAAAAAAAF44/7t9vcGg-XR4cYOhb1xjmOKhJaaoGt6N-wCLcB/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">oven baked Camembert fondue - yum!</div><br />All the best for 2017 y'all!&nbsp;<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">♥</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;While I'm digging into my first bowl of oatmeal of the year, I'm mentally preparing myself for my first run of 2017. Sleep deprivation makes it a tad harder to shift to the right gear today, but I'm totally excited for this new year. There are people for whom life just continues - New Years Eve or not. Of course I know I can't expect magic changes to have happened overnight, but still I feel as if I get some kind of "new chance"?<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br />However, no resolutions for the next 365 days. Like I wrote before: I just want to keep focusing on being healthy and taking care of myself and my loved ones. As simple (and as hard) as that!<br /><br />Of course we celebrated with friends yesterday. Everyone took care of some part of the dinner. Today I'd like to share with you the appetizer we brought to the party: oven baked Camembert. So simple and good, total comfort food.<br /><br /><i>What you need</i> (6 people)<br /><br /><ul><li>1 Camembert cheese</li><li>1 clove of garlic</li><li>Some sprigs of thyme</li><li>Some dried juniper berries</li><li>1 tbsp vermouth</li><li>1-2 baguettes</li></ul><div><i>What you do</i></div><div><ul><li>Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.</li><li>Remove the plastic foil from the Camembert and put the cheese back in the basket.</li><li>Cut the top of the Camembert cheese as on the picture.</li><li>Pour over the vermouth.</li><li>Chop op the garlic in small slices.</li><li>Add the garlic, thyme and berries to the cheese as depicted.</li><li>Put the top on the basket.</li><li>Line a tray with baking paper, put the cheese on the tray.&nbsp;</li><li>Put in the oven for 15-20 minutes.</li><li>Voilà, serve with some baguette and you're all good!</li></ul></div><div>How did you celebrate the new year?&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>Julie</div>Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-58324387968156013252016-12-27T09:02:00.000-08:002016-12-27T09:02:09.850-08:00Look at these pretty ladies!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mIPBd9S1AL8/WGKeed8ja2I/AAAAAAAAF4k/o6ZLrBhX5k84LzkKeacxhRHvDpg5xMRjwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mIPBd9S1AL8/WGKeed8ja2I/AAAAAAAAF4k/o6ZLrBhX5k84LzkKeacxhRHvDpg5xMRjwCLcB/s320/IMG_0350.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Such a simple recipe, but so good! Best thing? You only need 3 ingredients and no skills.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br />You have to admit that these beauties look pretty festive. They could look even fancier if you make them the right way. But of course I had to freestyle a bit. I didn't have muffin cases nor a pastry bag. I didn't really care for the muffin cases and I used a Ziploc bag with a cut off corner as a pastry bag.<br /><br />I have a week off right now, which I'm spending eating, sleeping, shopping and running. Of course I have a Christmas brunch planned for later this week: the girls are coming over on Thursday to hopefully re-live the magic of last weekend. Thinking about serving them these little cuties as well, but ssttt... don't tell them! If you want to give them a go as well, please find my mom's recipe below.<br /><br /><i>What do you need?</i><br /><br /><ul><li>Dark chocolate, I used 74% cacao</li><li>Pomegranate seeds</li><li>Sea salt</li></ul><div><i>What do you do?</i></div><div><ul><li>Melt the chocolate au bain-marie.</li><li>Ladle the chocolate in your (improvised) pastry bag.</li><li>Put the pomegranate seeds in small heaps on a baking sheet.</li><li>Put the chocolate on top as a glue to keep the seeds together.</li><li>Add more pomegranate in a second layer and more chocolate after that.</li><li>Sprinkle some sea salt to top if off.&nbsp;</li><li>Put in the fridge for an hour or so.</li></ul><div>See how easy this is? And it's healthy as well! Really: DO try this at home!</div></div><div><br /></div><div>What is your favourite brunch recipe?</div><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>Julie</div>Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-12862639907314486362016-12-25T23:10:00.003-08:002016-12-25T23:10:33.184-08:00Christmas morning loving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kLuDPWuj_HQ/WGDCDW4uP7I/AAAAAAAAF4U/2G5K9afOHIwt7J7D743kZv4Mso70VCWVgCLcB/s1600/Run26122016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kLuDPWuj_HQ/WGDCDW4uP7I/AAAAAAAAF4U/2G5K9afOHIwt7J7D743kZv4Mso70VCWVgCLcB/s320/Run26122016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">pretty views during my Christmas morning run</div><br /><br />Hi guys,<br /><br />It's all about the balance! Before a great Christmas lunch with family yesterday I went for a short but rather spicy run. I was at my parents' house and thought it would be a great idea to go for a run I often did when I was still living back home. However, like I said: it was TOUGH!<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br />Maybe it was because I had to run against some serious wind, maybe some other reason... Who knows. All I know is that I managed to finish my planned tour of 7k. Funny detail: at some point I was so dead, that when a police car passed by, I seriously considered to ask them to drop me off back home. Anyway, I didn't and after my run I was at least 100% ready for Christmas lunch!<br /><br />Of course, we had a ton of food: small shrimp croquettes, oysters, scallops, deer, oven baked apples with cranberries, red wine pears... - all oh so classic, but oh so GOOD!<br /><br />How did you spend Christmas? Tell me!<br /><br />Love,<br />JulieJulienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-49307132826769739442016-12-23T02:00:00.001-08:002016-12-23T02:00:37.859-08:00Merry Christmas!<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&amp;ik=91099ebc04&amp;view=fimg&amp;th=1592b1e77e4cb1d3&amp;attid=0.1.1&amp;disp=emb&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ8FKv6_75jStvBPts0NJpwX4cGvP2qIrS1_D0UY9X7TbdK2Lu5LyVRaT9e867nl30imnQNOHsy3telkTApCN09feoMFkXJBcathVn1Vg67yx-xjHSZHMDQh3Z0&amp;sz=s0-l75-ft&amp;ats=1482487162733&amp;rm=1592b1e77e4cb1d3&amp;zw&amp;atsh=1" width="400" /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>picture I took during my last morning run - pretty pretty Antwerp!</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Hey guys,<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">How are you? Long time no talk! A shitload of things have happened between now and the last time we talked. It’s been a wild ride, but now it’s time to look at what’s next.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">No great plans for 2017 as of today. The only thing I know is that I want to continue with this health flow I’ve been in for the last couple of weeks. Meaning: healthy food and waking up early to go running. In the evening I can’t really be bothered about being active anymore. So I go running straight out of bed since that’s the only way to keep me from putting it off. I set some goals which really seem to be great motivation so far: a half marathon in Spring and hopefully a full one in Fall. Wish me luck!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">What else?&nbsp; Family &amp; friends of course – never to be underestimated, always to be taken care of.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">What are you up to next year? And for some more important: what are you doing on NYE?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Love,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Julie</span></div>Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-44091288316025628682016-08-17T23:59:00.001-07:002016-08-17T23:59:58.605-07:00Yay summer was here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LdYHmN7pr80/V6BOWXJpSWI/AAAAAAAAFxQ/oont7l_NiqQAB9idWI7ZZ2I3p0ybsfzngCLcB/s1600/IMG_0298%2B%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LdYHmN7pr80/V6BOWXJpSWI/AAAAAAAAFxQ/oont7l_NiqQAB9idWI7ZZ2I3p0ybsfzngCLcB/s400/IMG_0298%2B%25282%2529.JPG" width="275" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>how pretty are these sunflowers???</i></div><br />And it already passed by. HOWEVER in a desperate attempt to keep the summer vibes alive, today we're going to talk about iced tea. Homemade iced tea that is. I love everything homemade. Even if an attempt to make something homemade tasted like crap, I would still pretend it tasted great (only to the boyfriend, never on the blog - don't want to make you gag).<br /><br />This iced tea thing. It hasn't got anything to do with Lipton ice tea. Or Nestea. No it's not sugar-y, it's not sparkling (Is iced tea ever sparkling? I'm in doubt.) But it's probably the most refreshing thing in the world. Or in my world at least. And it looks good too. So if you're planning on an Instagram worthy barbecue (in case the weather ever gets better), this is the way to go.<br /><a name='more'></a><i>What you need</i>&nbsp;(about 4 long drink glasses)<br /><ul><li>10g of green tea (I use loose tea, probably works with 2 - 3 tea bags as well)</li><li>Some sprigs of mint</li><li>1 lemon</li><li>1 peach</li><li>Honey</li><li>1l of cold tap water</li><li>Ice cubes!</li></ul><br /><i>What you do</i><br /><ul><li>Put the green tea in a jug.&nbsp;</li><li>Add the mint, 2 - 3 slices of lemon, 2 - 3 slices of peach.</li><li>Add the tap water.</li><li>Put in the fridge for about 8 hours (I just do it overnight).</li><li>Pour the ice tea through a sifter.</li><li>Add again some mint and some peach (I wouldn't add anymore lemon, might start tasting to sour).</li><li>When you serve it, prep the glass with some peach, some mint, a teaspoon of honey (or more if you have a major sweet tooth) and some ice cubes.&nbsp;</li><li>Give it a good stir: honey doesn't mix that well with cold ice tea. Maybe some cane sugar might be an idea as well #notetoself</li><li>All done, ready for your summer fiesta. Arrriba!</li></ul><div>Honest to God I just had half a jug of iced tea while I was writing this (about 5 - 10 min), even though it's pouring outside. I just love how refreshing this is! OK it's not full of sugar like some might like, but I really feel as if this is how iced tea was intended to be. Refreshing.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was thinking it might also taste great with some grated ginger. Should try that next!&nbsp;</div><div>How do you guys feel about a "not too sugar-y" iced tea?</div><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>Julie</div>Julienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-18692525552039864962016-08-03T00:32:00.002-07:002016-08-03T00:33:25.612-07:00Always up for a challenge pt. 1<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3f0wk3-A19Q/V6Gdg1-jJjI/AAAAAAAAFxs/PQXDqsWTbf8jig70JNTQ0DOSRIF4ZMqJACLcB/s1600/IMG_0290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3f0wk3-A19Q/V6Gdg1-jJjI/AAAAAAAAFxs/PQXDqsWTbf8jig70JNTQ0DOSRIF4ZMqJACLcB/s400/IMG_0290.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />My friend Kimberly (or Berly as we like to call her) had a challenge for me. Short introduction first. Kimberly likes pasta. And a lot of it. Which means she is <i>exactly </i>my kinda girl. So when she asked me to come up with an oven dish for <i>butterfly </i>pasta (known as farfalle by everyone else) I was of course totally up for the challenge.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br />One obstacle though. It's not really oven dish type-of-weather at the moment. That means pasta salad for now (sorry to disappoint, Berly) and an oven <i>butterfly </i>dish during fall. Or if Belgian weather starts behaving like Belgian weather again anytime soon, it might appear on here next week already. <i>edit: totally the case already - brace yourselves: oven dish coming SOON!</i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-132QaQK4-xc/V6GdhSUketI/AAAAAAAAFxw/8Sw8SUcnlLgLrMhnibxp5PLMoWjnsBS4wCLcB/s1600/IMG_0289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-132QaQK4-xc/V6GdhSUketI/AAAAAAAAFxw/8Sw8SUcnlLgLrMhnibxp5PLMoWjnsBS4wCLcB/s400/IMG_0289.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>And one more warning: today's dish is called a salad. Yep. Not as healthy as it might sound. Think (non-wholegrain) pasta, pancetta and goat's cheese. All of the good stuff combined. However, it does look and taste green enough to make you believe you're actually being healthy. Win-win.<br /><br />So here we goooo.<br /><br /><i>What you need for the salad&nbsp;</i>(huge-ass dinner for 2)<br /><ul><li>200g farfalle</li><li>100g goat's cheese</li><li>100g pancetta</li><li>100g frozen green peas</li><li>10 green asparagus</li><li>Zest of 1 lemon</li><li>Bunch of mint</li><li>Some good olive oil</li><li>Freshly ground black pepper</li></ul><br /><i>What you need for the dressing</i><br /><ul><li>1 avocado</li><li>200g of peas</li><li>Bunch of mint</li><li>Juice of 1/2 - 1 lemon</li><li>Olive oil</li><li>Salt</li><li>Pepper</li></ul><br /><i>What you do</i><br /><ul><li>Cook the pasta according to instructions but add about 1 - 2 min to the cooking process. When you let the pasta cool for the salad, it tends to firm up. As in the middle part of the farfalle there's a lot of "pasta folded together" it can feel a bit undercooked once it starts cooling if you drain it too soon.</li><li>Add the peas during the last two minutes of the cooking.&nbsp;</li><li>Drain and drizzle some olive oil on top. Let cool.</li><li>Discard the bottom part of the green asparagus. If you apply some pressure on the bottom part it will break off naturally, so don't use a knife or whatnot. Just break it off. Put the asparagus in cold water with their butt, so they can soak up some water.</li><li>Put the asparagus in boiling water for 2-3 minutes depending on how thick they are. They still need to be kinda firm. Together with the pancetta they add the crispy touch to the salad.</li><li>Drain asparagus and put them in cold water.&nbsp;</li><li>Put a non-stick pan on high heat. Add the pancetta and let it burn burn burn. I really love it 100% crispy.</li><li>Prepare the remaining peas according to package instructions.</li><li>Peel the avocado and put it in a bowl. Add the peas, a good drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Blend away.&nbsp;</li><li>Taste the dressing and add more salt if necessary. Or whatever else that might be lacking.</li><li>Add mint to pea - avocado mixture (only the leafs, not the sprigs). Blend some more. Add some water if too firm.</li><li>Add everything together: the pasta with peas, the dressing... Put the asparagus on top, crumble the cheese and pancetta over the salad.</li><li>Finish off with some more mint and a good grating of lemon zest. You really want that refreshing touch in there.</li><li>Some black pepper on top and you're DONE.</li><li>Bon'ap!</li></ul><div>Tell me, will you try this? If so, please let me know whether you liked it!</div><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>Julie</div>Julienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-36476879461479221982016-08-01T06:11:00.001-07:002016-08-01T06:11:24.649-07:00#noinspo: team triple dips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PYeEiwCIkPc/V59KMqVfIXI/AAAAAAAAFw0/E9SXVDs1BgM2kov715XP1YoguB3wCQSFACLcB/s1600/IMG_0266%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PYeEiwCIkPc/V59KMqVfIXI/AAAAAAAAFw0/E9SXVDs1BgM2kov715XP1YoguB3wCQSFACLcB/s400/IMG_0266%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Today is all about the non-blurred little fella in the picture.</div><br />Yay I really love dips. Give me some dip sauce, some naan or pita bread (or tortilla chips du-uh) and you got yourself a happy camper. I love dips so much I can't even describe - honestly. So I got some dirty little secret: I mostly make the same three dips for every dinner party. Guacamole, hummus and baba ganoush. Really easy but really yummy. And a bit #noinspiration. <br /><br />DIPSDIPSDIPSDIPSDIPSDIPS (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL1UzIK-flA">click</a>). All you could ever ask for.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br />Since I'm team #noinspiration I decided it might be a good idea to make three blogposts out of the three recipes. Team #tripledips. YES! So without further ado here comes the first recipe! Let's start with the easiest one: the hummus... TADAAAA! See how excited I am about this?<br /><br /><i>What you need </i>(dinner party portion for like 6-ish hummus loving people. Although you should always have hummus in your fridge. Cause hummus = life.)<br /><br /><ul><li>1 can of chickpeas</li><li>1/2 - 1 lemon</li><li>Cumin (to taste)</li><li>Tahini (about 1 tbs) - honestly: you <b><i>need</i></b> tahini in your hummus</li><li>1 clove of garlic</li><li>Salt</li><li>Olive oil (a good drizzle)</li></ul><br /><i>What you do</i><br /><br /><ul><li>Easiest recipe ever: combine all ingredients (not the whole lemon just the juice) and blend away.</li><li>Taste and season, taste and season, taste and season... until PER-FECT. Maybe add some water if too firm.</li><li>Done.</li></ul><div>So that was that. Since I really feel as if I need to start expanding my dip portfolio, I think I need to start experimenting with some peas - mint - goat's cheese combo soon. More on that later.</div><div><br /></div><div>What is your favorite dip?</div><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>Julie</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br />Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-13572891207022084942016-07-29T01:03:00.003-07:002016-07-29T01:03:58.657-07:00Nothing wrong with a classic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GIC2WoptYBg/V5sNr5zr3-I/AAAAAAAAFwg/n7ISh6X7dTQ80E8mCEYQ8CIn_r7IFi9-gCLcB/s1600/IMG_0190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GIC2WoptYBg/V5sNr5zr3-I/AAAAAAAAFwg/n7ISh6X7dTQ80E8mCEYQ8CIn_r7IFi9-gCLcB/s400/IMG_0190.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">OK OK the picture isn't the best but that doesn't say anything about the taste - OK?</div><br /><br />Fashion fades, style remains the same. Not that at this moment I give one flying c*** about what my clothes look like (I am wearing a dress that I ripped last year when falling off my bike in Copenhagen. And it's also missing two buttons). But what I am talking about is salad. And not just any salad: a salad with a capital a S. A Caesar Salad. Yes.<br /><div><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div>I don't think there's a lot of dishes out there that are more classic than Caesar salad. However, a lot of people like mixing up the ingredients. I don't know whether the version I make has anything to do with the original in any way, shape or form. But to be honest I don't really care about that either - seems as if today I don't really care about anything (which is a good thing). I just combined the flavors I like into a salad I tend to like as well.<br /><br />So let's gooo.<br /><i><br /></i><i>What you need for the salad</i> (2 servings)<br /><br /><ul><li>1 double chicken breast or 2 single</li><li>1 Romaine salad</li><li>2 eggs</li><li>Bacon (to taste - of course: the more the better)</li><li>Croutons or if you want to be fancy: a bread roll</li><li>Butter</li></ul><div><i>What you need for the dressing</i></div><ul><li>2 tbs yogurt. I used Turkish yogurt but Greek would definitely do as well. As would every type of yogurt you got in your fridge.</li><li>2 tsp of mustard</li><li>Worcestershire sauce</li><li>Lemon juice</li><li>1 small clove of garlic</li><li>Some anchovies (to taste as well)</li><li>Olive oil</li><li>Pepper</li><li>Salt</li></ul><i>What you do</i><br /><ul><li>Put salt and pepper on chicken breasts.</li><li>Heat a pan on medium to high(er) heat. Add some butter and add the chicken breasts. Turn on the heat a bit higher so the outside starts to look golden brown. Don't forget to turn.</li><li>Once the chicken looks all crispy and delicious from the outside, turn down the heat and let the chicken sit for about 12 min.</li><li>In the mean time boil your eggs as you like. If you like them soft, the perfect time is 6.5 min. If you want them hard boiled about 9 minutes should do. The latter is a guess - always. I prefer my eggs soft boiled. Once time is up cool them in ice cold water.</li><li>Also in the mean time: heat a grill pan on verrry high heat.&nbsp;</li><li>Once the 12 min are over transfer the chicken to the grill pan. Grill on one side, grill on the other. Let it grill for about 5 min in total (which means 2,5 min on each side - like duh).</li><li>In the mean time put the bacon in the same pan as the one you fried the chicken in first. I love my bacon completely crispy so let it burrrn.</li><li>Chop up the Romaine salad.</li><li>If you prefer the fancy croutons: put some olive oil on top of the bread roll slices. Put them in the oven under the grill until they're crispy.</li><li>For the dressing: chop up the anchovies and the garlic. Mix all ingredients according to taste - that's that. I really love salty, meat-y, deep flavours so the more anchovies and worchestershire, the better.</li><li>Enjoy!</li></ul><div>What salad should I try next? Maybe give the Waldorf a spin?</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>Julie</div>Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-89013505982470323472016-07-25T00:15:00.000-07:002016-07-25T01:01:07.768-07:00And we're back from...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9_PnxoU5PVQ/V5W709-aqeI/AAAAAAAAFv8/MpJZNamYBiE8DL42ipRr_aGBwjiNYV_vwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9_PnxoU5PVQ/V5W709-aqeI/AAAAAAAAFv8/MpJZNamYBiE8DL42ipRr_aGBwjiNYV_vwCLcB/s400/IMG_0067.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />FRANCE! Had a wedding there on Friday, so we squeezed in some days before - holidays yay! Of course I was already looking forward to some time off for ages. Mental prep is half of the joy.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br />When looking back to the food we had before our trip, I feel as if I tried sneaking in some Mediterranean vibes already. Besides our trip to Ikea two Fridays ago. Picked up a ton of food there just because we could.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yFDmH0OOfOI/V5W701g6yBI/AAAAAAAAFwA/sKYUCjR0Se8m1sinbv76NqYWAdr9k2qXACLcB/s1600/IMG_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yFDmH0OOfOI/V5W701g6yBI/AAAAAAAAFwA/sKYUCjR0Se8m1sinbv76NqYWAdr9k2qXACLcB/s400/IMG_0069.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>And you know what: food was great last week. According to me at least. I found a great recipe for couscous that made me feel like: yep. This is how it's done. You know when you buy a couscous salad in store? I feel as if there's two kinds: the disgusting ones and the OK ones. The disgusting ones: all those that have raisins in them. Don't ask; I got something against them. The OK ones: the ones that have no raisins and plenty stuff besides. But I never really found a GREAT couscous salad in store.<br /><br />Maybe I am kind of a food snob (at times). But then when I do find a recipe I like, I'm like: ka-tchiiiing. Like what I had with this recipe: couscous salad with plenty of greens (more greens than grains, that's how we roll). So please try this, you won't regret it. And it's super duper easy.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AvYNEmILs0M/V5W71HTd-II/AAAAAAAAFwE/klP4V0ZNu5EyM9C8C9DbdeX7qqd-S94OgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AvYNEmILs0M/V5W71HTd-II/AAAAAAAAFwE/klP4V0ZNu5EyM9C8C9DbdeX7qqd-S94OgCLcB/s400/IMG_0071.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><i><br /></i><i>What you need </i>(2 servings)<br /><br /><ul><li>70g of bulgur&nbsp;</li><li>Bunch of flat parsley</li><li>Bunch of mint</li><li>1 spring onion</li><li>1/2 green pepper</li><li>2 good tomatoes</li><li>1 - 1,5 lemons</li><li>Olive oil</li><li>Salt</li><li>Pepper</li><li>4 - 6 merguez sausages (of course we had 6, cause we're beasts)</li></ul><br /><i>What you do</i><br /><br /><ul><li>WARNING: before you continue it's important to know that everything needs to be as fresh as possible. So don't start adding the tomatoes and lemon juice two hours before you're actually going to eat. Mushy couscous salad is the enemy.</li><li>Prepare bulgur as mentioned on package. Let it cool.</li><li>Dice the tomatoes.</li><li>Chop the spring onion and green pepper. Add some salt.</li><li>From the lemons we need the juice and the zest.</li><li>Chop the parsley and the mint - to taste. Just add as much as you want. But remember: more greens than grains.</li><li>About 10 min before you plan on digging in, you put the merguez on the grill.</li><li>Add all the salad ingredients. Bring to taste with pepper, salt and a drizzle of olive oil.</li><li>Add the merguez sausages.</li><li>Damn, dig in. This thing got me hungry already.</li></ul><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>Julie</div>Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-2125848579228014522016-07-18T07:25:00.003-07:002016-07-18T07:25:49.653-07:00Just sprinkle shit<div class="MsoBodyText"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BoqY-xQ2siM/V4zm1EOUAKI/AAAAAAAAFvc/rfKhh-QDNDcg52P7a8YR-mfDYMLSkPkwQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BoqY-xQ2siM/V4zm1EOUAKI/AAAAAAAAFvc/rfKhh-QDNDcg52P7a8YR-mfDYMLSkPkwQCLcB/s320/IMG_0077.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Over the last couple of years I always used to have breakfast with something I like to call “apple pie oatmeal”. It’s basically the combination of rolled oats, diced apple, raisins and cinnamon. Now the thing with this apple pie oatmeal – just like with real apple pie – is that there’s no such thing as “enough”. Lazy cook as I am, I don’t want to use scales or whatever in the morning. So I just poured some oatmeal in my pan, some days double the amount of the previous. &nbsp;And of course I ate it all. Not that I have a problem with too much food because there’s simply no such thing as “too much food”.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p>I called the apple pie story quits. And that’s when I switched to granola. Homemade, of course, because I’m such a show-off. Mornings became way easier from that moment on: wake up – (go for a run) - put granola in bowl – eat. Done. No more stirring, no more worrying about burned oatmeal. NO. You go through the whole baking process once every week and then you’re done for the next 5 – 7 days. The only thing left is to EAT. EAT EAT EAT. Isn’t that what we all love best? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText"></div><div class="MsoBodyText">And about the quantity problem: I only use the granola to top off my yogurt and fruits. Mostly pomegranate. I love pomegranate. And it’s easy as well: you can take out the seeds in the weekend, so you just have to sprinkle shit on top of your yogurt (doesn’t sound very appetizing, I know). And then granola after. And then you’re done.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText">Also want an easy – shit sprinkling – morning? Read on!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><i>What you need</i><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"></div><ul><li>100 g rolled oats</li><li>40 g of mixed nuts</li><li>15 g coconut oil</li><li>65 g honey</li><li>Salt</li><li>Cinnamon</li><li>Optional: ginger</li></ul><o:p></o:p><br /><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><i>What you do</i><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"></div><ul><li>Pre-heat oven at 165°C.</li><li>Combine the oats with the nuts</li><li>Combine coconut oil and honey. Heat the mixture and stir a bit until completely combined.</li><li>Pour the coconut oil + honey on top of the oats + nuts.</li><li>If you like ginger, grate some ginger over the mixture.</li><li>Add the cinnamon and salt.</li><li>Mix until well combined.</li><li>Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the granola on top.</li><li>Put in the oven for about 15 min until golden brown. If you feel as if it might start getting burnt before the 15 min are over, take it out.</li><li>Take it out of the oven and let it cool.</li><li>Store in an airtight jar. Now you should have breakfast for about a week.</li><li>Bon’ap!</li></ul><o:p></o:p><br /><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText">What do you normally have for breakfast? Any idea on what I could add to my standard granola recipe?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText">Love,<o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText">Julie<o:p></o:p></div>Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-63253138688812431612016-07-15T12:50:00.001-07:002016-07-15T12:50:36.927-07:00You can't buy happiness <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-52urYhA5eMU/V4k-SYvd6hI/AAAAAAAAFvE/Z4sE_Qy5ZP45YDJOYJzl-yEJQHW27igEwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-52urYhA5eMU/V4k-SYvd6hI/AAAAAAAAFvE/Z4sE_Qy5ZP45YDJOYJzl-yEJQHW27igEwCLcB/s640/IMG_0043.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />but you can buy pizza, which is kind of the same thing. Or even better: make it yourself. And when you don't feel like making it, just pimping a deep frozen pizza can give you the same gratification. Add some arugula on top, off you go!<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br />What I did past weekend was actually pretty smart (or at least I like to think so. Got to admit I'm easily satisfied): I made a huge batch of tomato sauce to use in different ways for two - three dinners in the upcoming week. First recipe we used it for was - of course - pizza.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5osBzqjCWw/V4k-SWlE0TI/AAAAAAAAFvI/9jfkmrKc8lUc7DjSmWFWlCz-g07FRi6uQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5osBzqjCWw/V4k-SWlE0TI/AAAAAAAAFvI/9jfkmrKc8lUc7DjSmWFWlCz-g07FRi6uQCLcB/s640/IMG_0042.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Really there's nothing wrong with using tomato sauce several nights in a row if it's well prepared. My secret? I got several. However the one I <i>always </i>go with, is adding wine. Pour some in the pan, pour some in your glass - everybody happy. If we're lucky enough to almost run out of parmigiano I also like adding the "cheese crust" to the sauce while it's cooking. Don't forget to take it out after. And when I want some extra depth in the sauce I add some anchovies. But that's just me. I love anchovies. Before I forget: instead of adding the dried herbs when the cooking is almost over and done, I add them right at the beginning. The moment when the onion starts to get a little glazed and sweaty - that's the moment to get in with the rosemary, the oregano.... Whatever strikes your fancy.<br /><br />Now back to the pizza! Don't think it's ridiculously hard to make it from scratch. It's easier than getting up from the couch, go buy pizza and put it in the oven. And a lot more fun for sure. Won't say it's as easy as ordering in, but making your own is totally worth it in terms of flavor.<br /><br /><i>What you need </i>(6 - 8 pizzas)<br /><ul><li>500g doppio zero flour (I buy it on Saturday mornings on the market, but you can also buy it online if you can't find it in stores)</li><li>300 ml tepid water</li><li>15g fresh yeast</li><li>15 g salt</li><li>Olive oil</li><li>Toppings to personal preference</li></ul><br /><i>What you do</i><br /><ul><li>Whisk the yeast with the water until dissolved.</li><li>Put the flour in a bowl with the salt and olive oil (2 tbs). Give it a good stir.</li><li>Add the water + yeast to the flour and start kneading.&nbsp;</li><li>Once everything seems pretty much <i>incorporated </i>take the dough out of the bowl. Place it on a well-floured surface.</li><li>Knead away, about 5 - 10 min. Keep stretching and pushing.</li><li>Shape the dough into a ball and put it into a bowl. Dust off with some more flour and cover with cling foil.</li><li>Leave to rise for about an hour.</li><li>Pre-heat oven on the highest temperature it has. Ours is 250°C.</li><li>Depending on how large you want your pizzas, divide the ball in 6 - 8 dough portions.</li><li>Roll each ball out on a floured surface.&nbsp;</li><li>If you won't eat all pizzas at the same time, you can freeze the dough. Just take one of the dough portions (don't roll it out - take it as is after having divided the dough), put it in (some sort of) ziplock bag and place in the freezer. When you want to use it, just take it out a couple of hours before, so it can have some kind of second rise. Proceed as in the step above.</li><li>Now you're ready to have your pizza party and start putting on there whatever you like. I love just plain and simple toppings: good tomato sauce, some mozzarella, a sprinkle of grated parmigiano. After it comes out of the oven some parma ham, some more parmigiano. Some freshly grated pepper maybe? Really: less is more!</li><li>Depending on your oven, put the pizza in the oven for about 10 - 15 min (on 250°C). The crust should look light golden.</li><li>Bon'ap!</li></ul><div>Let me know once you've tried this!</div><div><br /></div><div>What pizza toppings do you like? Anything I should try?</div><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>Julie</div><br /><br /><br />Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-14151556258728321652016-07-13T00:32:00.000-07:002016-07-13T00:32:10.627-07:00Just a silly, simple salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RUL5ooh5tNQ/V4Xtex12LlI/AAAAAAAAFuw/ZDJPwwwYj5spjmDTD2LfBYkDq9BCfvuYACLcB/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RUL5ooh5tNQ/V4Xtex12LlI/AAAAAAAAFuw/ZDJPwwwYj5spjmDTD2LfBYkDq9BCfvuYACLcB/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />HEJ KIDS! Like I said in my last post (<a href="http://cahierdejulie.blogspot.be/2016/07/i-smell-something-fishy.html">click</a>): it's all about the <i>fishfishfishfishfishfish </i>and the summer induced cravings for fresh and pure food with a good <i>zing</i>. And here's a confession... I don't know why, but whenever I'm in this state of mind, I like to think that the food I'm dishing up is Scandinavian in some kinda way. Those that know me, know I'm a sucker for everything Scandinavian. So when we went to Denmark and Norway last summer on a camping trip I was in heaven.<br /><div><br /></div><div>I don't know what it is, but I feel as if those Scandinavians really know how to bring food back to its essence. Great example here is Mikkel Karstad. Please go visit his site (<a href="http://weyoutheyate.com/">click</a>); it's full of tasty, simple dishes with a minimum of ingredients. I'm so jealous of that guy - but also kinda thankful: he is such an inspiration.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Now back to today's dish. I was in the kitchen, dancing away to the tones of Rhye, when I thought of this silly, simple salad. Which of course felt Scandinavian inspired to me in an instant.</div><div><br /></div><div>Brace yourselves, here we go with one of the most simple dishes you'll probably ever make. Quick warning: it requires a <i>tad</i>&nbsp;more work than chopping some tomatoes and a cucumber.<br /><br /><i>What you need </i>(gigantic portions for 2 regular people)<br /><ul><li>A bulb of fennel</li><li>2 beetroots. I used the pre-cooked ones from the supermarket because A. they didn't have any non-cooked and B. ain't nothing wrong with pre-cooked beets</li><li>A green apple, Granny Smith preferably</li><li>2 smoked mackerel fillets</li><li>2 hands of rocket salad</li><li>2 tbs Greek yogurt</li><li>1 tbs grainy mustard (a recipe for that coming soon!)</li><li>Olive oil</li><li>Pepper</li><li>Salt</li><li>Lemon</li><li>A bunch of dill</li></ul><br /><i>What you do</i><br /><ul><li>Cut off parts of the fennel that stick out at the top (if you know what I mean). Don't &nbsp;throw them.</li><li>Slice the fennel in fine... <i>slices?</i></li><li>Do the same thing with the apple and the beetroots</li><li>Put the beetroot in a bowl, put the fennel and the apple on top</li><li>"Crumble" the mackerel fillets on top, i.e. tear them apart</li><li>Top of with the rocket salad, some dill and the discarded parts of the fennel</li><li>Mix the remaining ingredients to taste for the dressing</li><li>Drizzle the dressing on top once the salad has been plated.&nbsp;</li><li>Bon'ap!</li></ul><div>Promise me you'll try this, use this as a soundtrack (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my9JrzHlf9U">click</a>) and enjoy!</div><div><br /></div><div>What else could I put in this salad, any suggestions?</div><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>Julie</div></div>Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-78793136136113019752016-07-11T00:20:00.001-07:002016-07-11T00:21:17.125-07:00I smell something fishy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H8lhFJ8p87A/V4NIdhvrZ9I/AAAAAAAAFuc/CpuD42PT0fkk1-YCXtxhju9pm_gD4VJpQCLcB/s1600/Fish.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H8lhFJ8p87A/V4NIdhvrZ9I/AAAAAAAAFuc/CpuD42PT0fkk1-YCXtxhju9pm_gD4VJpQCLcB/s400/Fish.PNG" width="398" /></a></div><br />Summer vibes make me crave fresh and healthy - but still very yummy - food. So that's why I'm all into fish at the moment: Thai mussels, oven baked fish filled with herbs or... this (improvised) apéro plate! We've been hosting our fair share of dinner parties lately, which is the perfect occasion to try something fishy. I really prefer serving some fishy friends over meat, since they don't lie that heavy on the stomach (at least if you don't drench your dish in creamy sauces and serve it with fries). I also feel as if fish lends itself better to serving Asian inspired dishes, which are favorite at the moment.<br /><div><a name='more'></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DgVgczRSW84/V4NIdtFg8vI/AAAAAAAAFug/wzdPEy-e8YcbRu09gAgVBBZKauj90HQxACLcB/s1600/TallShipsRaces.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DgVgczRSW84/V4NIdtFg8vI/AAAAAAAAFug/wzdPEy-e8YcbRu09gAgVBBZKauj90HQxACLcB/s400/TallShipsRaces.PNG" width="398" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Tall Ships Races 2016</i></div><div><br /></div><div>When we came back home on Sunday from the Tall Ships Races I had no choice but make some food - which is obviously the best thing in the world to do on a Sunday afternoon (or on any other day of the week). So I had a look in the fridge and decided to make an apéro plate with some of the remaining <i style="text-decoration: line-through;">food</i> &nbsp;fish&nbsp;we still had.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>There's no real recipe here - besides using really good ingredients. I sliced a raw scallop and alternated it with some avocado, then drizzled some olive oil + lemon juice on top. I'm also a really sucker for sprat, especially when combined on some toast with mashed avocado, a sprinkle of lime zest, a touch of cilantro, sea salt and of course a hint of olive oil. And then: the best thing this season has to offer. Herring! Just keep it simpe - herring, some onion, drizzle of lemon juice. Tada, you're done! Easy peasy, 5 minutes of work to create a summer inspired apéro.</div><div><br /></div><div>How do you feel about fish versus meat? And does summer also inspire you to go for more fishy dishes? Let me know!</div><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>Julie</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Julienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094982530972550940.post-63651692911380662362016-07-10T07:41:00.003-07:002016-07-10T07:41:39.991-07:00Summer lovin' happens so fast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_h2_HZGMBPU/V4JeidvsSvI/AAAAAAAAFts/0r9sPLqkRZkvczPOYonw5PZTEyb1GJVfgCLcB/s1600/10599473_10153368340365884_7847816849812890317_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_h2_HZGMBPU/V4JeidvsSvI/AAAAAAAAFts/0r9sPLqkRZkvczPOYonw5PZTEyb1GJVfgCLcB/s320/10599473_10153368340365884_7847816849812890317_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />HEJ KIDS! On this page I'd like to share my love for food. Pure ingredients, home cooking... sharing love by sharing food. I might not have great technical skills or the best <i>pallette</i>. But like I said: I have a love for food. I love the pure elements you find in Scandinavian cooking, the love and passion in Italian food, the audacity of Asian cuisine... the &nbsp;<i>everything everything everything </i>that has to do with it.<br /><br />I won't say I haven't tried this <i>writing about food </i>before. But maybe adding my name to the blog makes it feel more personal. Also the fact that I had some rosé earlier this afternoon (if you're ever in Antwerp, go to Café Kamiel and try their bio grapefruit - rosé) might have something to do with it. Add to that the fact that I just had a lovely, summer Sunday afternoon: talks with my love about the things in life that matter most, long strolls through the city and thinking about the fact that you only live once (yes I did just use YOLO in my first blog post - decide now whether you want to read on or not).<br /><br />Whether any of the above made any sense to you or not: this is the page where I want to write about what food means to me. Because it's life and it's love - it's what it's all about. To me at least.<br /><br />Love,<br />JulieJulienoreply@blogger.com0